Just for fun I e-mailed the Service Manager at the local LR dealership (he's actually the top guy for both local dealerships; same owner)...and he says that he has NEVER replaced an LR3 transmission.

Someone is doing something wrong somewhere, abran. I'd bet not changing the fluid around 100k miles is a common thread in most if not all the cases you mention above.

 

Did he just start that job?jk I am amazed at that statement.

Obviously not changing the fluid is an issue, but doesn't LR tell their clients its a non serviceable unit? Seems weird to me that the official party line is don't service trans, but your contact has never replaced one.

I guess the fact that they probably want an arm and a leg to do it makes it prohibitive.

My friend had his replaced at LR here in CA. So I know its happens. I am going to call my buddy that was a tech as of 8 months ago at LR dealership here in So Cal and ask him how many they have replaced.

Maybe its a so cal thing with all the CA stops.

Anyways, I am not making up my experience. I actually paid a guy to teach me how to rebuild them because I see so many failed units. Mine has over 6K miles and it and works great. Parts alone for a proper rebuild are over $1400.

 

Abran...I don't think for one second that you are making anything up. I just think there is something going on...some common thread that we aren't seeing. As for my buddy, he has worked at Land Rover up here, to my knowledge, since 2008 or 2009, something like that....and he has been the Manager for about 5 years. He has seen plenty of action to have a sampling of statistical significance.

Could be that dealerships cost too much, you're right. Could be that Indy shops are quick to change out a tranny instead of changing a serviceable part. Could be that the Rovers that go to dealerships are better maintained. I don't know.

The company line on maintenance....a bit of a misnomer. It says "sealed for life" or whatever without defining what the service life is. People bought into that hook, line and sinker early on but by now we all know that it's about 100k miles. Even the dealerships are recommending that...I think.

 

Abran,

Maybe God hates all LR owners in Huntington Beach


To OP,

As for ticking time bombs if you ever mess with the coolant system, replace the bleeder T, thermostat, etc... Be very sure you get all the air out of the loop. The folks that overheat this otherwise very good engine have a bad time... Diffs are known to go bad, fluid change or new/refurb unit is only fix I have heard. Probably keep an eye on tranny as abran says, at least budget some money to getting new fluid and pan done (you could do yourself but see the threads describing process-difficult).

And don't ever let water get in, it will ruin so much crap. clean/trim the ends of roof drain tubes, keep an eye on windshield cowling so it doesn't let too much water through (easy to replace however).

Despite what I am saying above, the vehicle is actually very good, especially engine-wise for reasonable reliability. Nothing like the D2.

 

All my D2's engine wise have been great (I do give em proper TLC), but the LR3 does seem to have a lot of the english bugs fixed under the hood.

 

I use the analogy of the compressors... when anything begins to go south concerning the EAS, the only fix from the dealership is replace the compressor, even though a quick and easy rebuild would do. It seems to be a theme for todays shops that they only replace parts and not look at diagnosing/rebuilding/maintaining them. Remember when plugs were cleaned and gap'd instead of automatically replacing them? It's been a slow slide ever since...

 

We've put 43,000 miles on our used LR3 after owning a Disco 2. The best way I can sum up the ticking time bomb difference between them is:
When off-roading with the Disco I always worried about what it would do to us.
When off-roading with the LR3 I sometimes worry about what we will do to it.

So far the worst we've done is ruin the plastic strip that runs along the bottom of the front passenger door. I think it cost $115 for a new replacement so not a major concern. That reminds me that I still need to get rock sliders...

-Rob

 

They aren't - if you do some research they're also installed on many other reliable vehicles that see some major abuse, including the Ford F150 SVT Raptor. There are variations in the design but the principals are the same.

Many many problems occur due to unresolved issues with leaks, which can lead to warranty swaps, which (if not performed correctly) can lead to replacement due to cooler line, alignment, or other install issues during the swap. Some reman units are faulty out of the box, etc etc.. Before you know it, just missing a small leak has cost you 3x transmissions!

My LR3 actually had a service history of early leaks (ahem, clueless female owner, techs noted large leaks and fluid loss) - they replaced some lines, the data link plug/gasket, etc etc.. and at 120k mi the thing is just great.

Overall the ZF 6HP26 is a marvel of engineering for the era (coming out of the 90's this thing was an incredibly smooth and efficient 6 speed!) Bentley, Aston Martin, and high-end Audi's / VW's used this, plus the large BMW's.

 

I think the biggest source of problems with these transmissions is the lack of a dipstick. We are unable to easily check the level and condition of the transmission fluid. It also makes topping off difficult for people who are low on fluid.

When you combine the lack of a dipstick with the sealed-for-life perception around the transmission it is easy for a very small leak to turn into a major problem over tens of thousands of miles.

-Rob

 

Probably doesn't help me that I have a skid plate between mine and the garage floor!